Shop Local

What Is My Impact?
Your shopping habits help employ Miami County residents and allow business owners to support many vital community events. Festivals, youth sports programs, and community organizations often rely on donations from local businesses. The sales tax created by those businesses influences local government spending on things like roads, recreation, and capital improvements.

Businesses also pay property taxes at twice the rate of a single family home. Those taxes support a city's basic operational expenses, including fire and police protection. Without those commercial property taxes and sales tax collections, property taxes paid by single-family homeowners would increase significantly.

Some general numbers to consider

Slightly more than half of the people employed by a Miami County business are also county residents

Roughly one-third of the county's tax base is represented by commercial business owners who pay property taxes at a rate of more than twice that of a single-family home

While there is plenty of research available, anecdotal evidence shows that one of the reasons people love living in Miami County is the "quality of life." That intangible thing cannot be measured, but seems to fundamentally represent the safety of our families, the excellent education offered to our children, and the opportunities to enjoy our favorite traditions. Those quality of life factors rely on how - and where - you shop. (Sources: U.S. Census and Miami County Clerk's Office)